Relationships of real-time glucose levels on cognitive-linguistic performance in adults with and without diabetes

People with diabetes have been shown to have challenges in cognitive-linguistic performance. This is the first study of (1) the relationship between continuous glucose levels measured during extensive cognitive- linguistic assessment and (2) patterns of variation in glucose levels corresponding to performance, in adults with and without diabetes.  Results are contextualized in terms of self-reported symptoms. Despite reporting less symptom severity, adults with diabetes scored worse on each measure for which performance differed significantly between groups. For both groups, differences between repeated measures of performance correlated significantly with differences in actual glucose values. Clinical and research implications are discussed

Pressing the case for wider economic, social and environmental measures of progress: a case study of the OECD Global Project

University of Technology Sydney. Institute for Sustainable Futures.Gross domestic product (GDP), as the primary economic indicator for national governments, is used as a proxy for defining and measuring societal progress. Interest in moving beyond GDP as a headline measure has seen the rise of new measurement frameworks for policy makers. The Human Development Index (HDI) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have emerged as two recognised frameworks that seek to incorporate societal priorities such as equality of economic opportunity, wellbeing and environmental sustainability. The adoption of new frameworks by policy makers has been limited, due to concerns regarding underlying assumptions and a lack of testing. My object of study is an international project, run by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), that sought to increase the use of multidisciplinary measurement frameworks in policy development. My research looks at ‘The effectiveness of the OECD Global Project on Measuring the Progress of Societies as an agent of change’. The Global Project was active between 2004 and 2012 and my research and data collection was conducted between 2009 and 2012. The research design involved adopting the role of participant as researcher for an extended period of immersion in the project, a review of formal documentation of the Global Project and fifteen semi-structured interviews. Three theoretical lenses are used in this study of the Global Project: frameworks for measuring progress, networks of networks, and agents of change. The research delivered four main findings regarding the ability of the Global Project to effect change and achieve its objectives. Firstly, the research found that the Global Project stimulated a broad and inclusive multidisciplinary discussion on measurement frameworks among international stakeholders that created new network relationships, particularly between stakeholders from different disciplines. Secondly, this network structure both supported and impeded the achievement of outcomes. Thirdly, the Global Project generated impetus, momentum and a strong response from stakeholders of the OECD that influenced the development of the OECD Better Life Index measurement framework. Fourthly and finally, policy makers, whom the Global Project aimed to influence, were largely absent from the work of the Global Project. The synthesis of these research findings examines the interrelationships between the role of change agent, the amorphous nature of network structures and the considerations present in the international discussion and adoption of measurement frameworks. The implications of the research findings are presented in the context of the adoption of new measurement frameworks by policy makers

Reading Ian Shaw's Predator Empire: Drone Warfare and Full Spectrum Dominance

Predator Empire: Drone Warfare and Full Spectrum Dominance, Ian G.R. Shaw. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis (2016). 336 pp £18.47 (kindle edition), £81 (hardcopy), £22.99 (Paperback) ISBN-10: 0816694745, ISBN-13: 978-0816694747

Concurrent validation of an eyetracking-based method for assessing attention allocation

Several authors have reported that individuals with aphasia have greater difficulty allocating attention according to task demands than people without neurological disorders (Hula & McNeil, 2008; LaPointe & Erickson, 1991; McNeil et al., 2004; McNeil et al., 2005; Murray, Holland, & Beeson, 1997; Robin & Rizzo, 1988). Studying how attention deficits contribute to neurogenic language deficits is important for clinical practice and research. However, existing methods for indexing attention allocation in people with aphasia pose serious methodological challenges, including demands on comprehension abilities for understanding of dual-task instructions prior to an experiment, and response requirements that may impact participants’ performance. Eyetracking methods have great potential to address such challenges. Such methods do not require a) understanding of complex instructions; b) responding verbally, in writing, or with gestures; or c) manipulating devices, such as a computer mouse or joystick (Hallowell, Wertz, & Kruse, 2002). These features reduce critical response confounds and improve the validity of assessment tools for indexing attention allocation (Heuer & Hallowell, 2013). Heuer and Hallowell (2013) developed an eyetracking method to assess attention allocation using a dual-task paradigm in individuals with and without aphasia. The dual-task method included a visual search task, in which participants were trained to find a visual target in a display that included one target and three nontarget foils, and an auditory linguistic processing task, in which sentences were presented auditorally. Attention demands were manipulated by varying the complexity of each of the two tasks. Changes in attention demands were indexed through performance on the visual search task using eyetracking measures. Results indicated that the method is sensitive to differences between people with and without aphasia, and that it captures response variations associated with task demands and stimulus complexity. While those results were valuable in establishing the construct validity of the novel eyetracking-based measures, no conclusions could be drawn about the concurrent validity of the method because no previously validated measure of attention allocation had been administered

Delivery of a nutritional prescription by enteral tube feeding in children with chronic kidney disease stages 2-5 and on dialysis-clinical practice recommendations from the Pediatric Renal Nutrition Taskforce

The nutritional prescription (whether in the form of food or liquid formulas) may be taken orally when a child has the capacity for spontaneous intake by mouth, but may need to be administered partially or completely by nasogastric tube or gastrostomy device ("enteral tube feeding"). The relative use of each of these methods varies both within and between countries. The Pediatric Renal Nutrition Taskforce (PRNT), an international team of pediatric renal dietitians and pediatric nephrologists, has developed clinical practice recommendations (CPRs) based on evidence where available, or on the expert opinion of the Taskforce members, using a Delphi process to seek consensus from the wider community of experts in the field. We present CPRs for delivery of the nutritional prescription via enteral tube feeding to children with chronic kidney disease stages 2-5 and on dialysis. We address the types of enteral feeding tubes, when they should be used, placement techniques, recommendations and contraindications for their use, and evidence for their effects on growth parameters. Statements with a low grade of evidence, or based on opinion, must be considered and adapted for the individual patient by the treating physician and dietitian according to their clinical judgement. Research recommendations have been suggested. The CPRs will be regularly audited and updated by the PRNT.Peer reviewe

Canoodling with careers: cross-team working in information literacy

This workshop will explore how support services can work together to deliver information literacy across an institution. Traditionally Librarians have collaborated solely with Academics to develop and deliver information literacy interventions and support for students, but Librarian teams are very often co-located in teams providing wider services. This can include working in professional teams encompassing careers and employability professionals, learning technologists, study skills/academic skills teachers and IT skills trainers. At University of Derby the Library service is part of the Institute for Learning Enhancement and Innovation, which encompasses all of these services. This workshop will build upon work done by the three presenters, who are based at the Buxton campus, to find linkages between the work of Library Academic Services team of Subject Librarians and the work done by the Careers Consultants. Working together, the presenters found that both teams were developing and delivering sessions around the same core set of digital and information literacy skills, but from different perspectives. This has led to the development and delivery of joint compulsory lectures and workshops, voluntary workshops, and a joint ‘roaming’ service to students based at the multiple sites around the town. Delivered as a workshop, this session will engage participants in a range of group work activities, including: ‘Identifying overlapping skills teaching within support teams’, ‘What makes teams work? How can diverse teams work together on IL?’ and ‘Discussion on issues and good practice sharing’. The first two of these activities will involve a group discussion and a mind mapping activity on the personality and cultural dimensions of working with members of others teams. The good practice sharing will take the form of a ‘speed dating’ style activity where participants move around the room gaining new ideas and passing on experiences. Attending this workshop will allow participants to share good practice and will benefit from identifying opportunities for cross-team working within their own institution. In addition they will gain ideas on how to approach members of other teams to facilitate information literacy projects

Rapid Independent Trait Evolution despite a Strong Pleiotropic Genetic Correlation

This is the publisher's version. It can also be found here:http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/661907Genetic correlations are the most commonly studied of all potential constraints on adaptive evolution. We present a comprehensive test of constraints caused by genetic correlation, comparing empirical results to predictions from theory. The additive genetic correlation between the filament and the corolla tube in wild radish flowers is very high in magnitude, is estimated with good precision, and is caused by pleiotropy. Thus, evolutionary changes in the relative lengths of these two traits should be constrained. Still, artificial selection produced rapid evolution of these traits in opposite directions, so that in one replicate relative to controls, the difference between them increased by six standard deviations in only nine generations. This would result in a 54% increase in relative fitness on the basis of a previous estimate of natural selection in this population, and it would produce the phenotypes found in the most extreme species in the family Brassicaceae in less than 100 generations. These responses were within theoretical expectations and were much slower than if the genetic correlation was zero; thus, there was evidence for constraint. These results, coupled with comparable results from other species, show that evolution can be rapid despite the constraints caused by genetic correlations

Effect of increasing fruit and vegetable intake by dietary intervention on nutritional biomarkers and attitudes to dietary change : a randomised trial

This work was funded by The Scottish Government Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Sciences Division (RESAS) and supported by the Rank Prize Funds.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

An atlas of reproductive development in rockfishes, genus Sebastes

The genus Sebastes consists of over 100 fish species, all of which are viviparous and long-lived. Previous studies have presented schemes on the reproductive biology of a single targeted species of the genus Sebastes, but all appear to possess a similar reproductive biology as evidenced by this and other studies. This atlas stages major events during spermatogenesis, oogenesis, and embryogenesis, including atresia, in six species of Sebastes (S. alutus, S. elongatus, S. helvomaculatus, S. polyspinis, S. proriger, and S. zacentrus). Our study suggests that the male reproductive cycle of Sebastes is characterized by 11 phases of testicular development, with 10 stages of sperm development and 1 stage of spermatozoa atresia. Ovarian development was divided into 12 phases, with 10 stages of oocyte development, 1 stage of embryonic development, and 1 stage of oocyte atresia. Embryonic development up to parturition was divided into 33 stages following the research of Yamada and Kusakari (1991). Reproductive development of all six species examined followed the developmental classifications listed above which may apply to all species of Sebastes regardless of the number of broods produced annually. Multiple brooders vary in that not all ova are fertilized and progress to embryos; a proportion of ova are arrested at the pre-vitellogenic stage. Reproductive stage examples shown in this atlas use S. elongates for spermatic development, S. proriger for oocyte development, and S. alutus for embryological development, because opportunistic sampling only permitted complete analysis of each respective developmental phase for those species. The results of this study and the proposed reproductive phases complement the recommended scheme submitted by Brown-Peterson et al. (2011), who call for a standardization of terminology for describing reproductive development of fishes

The Parkinson's progression markers initiative (PPMI) - establishing a PD biomarker cohort.

ObjectiveThe Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) is an observational, international study designed to establish biomarker-defined cohorts and identify clinical, imaging, genetic, and biospecimen Parkinson's disease (PD) progression markers to accelerate disease-modifying therapeutic trials.MethodsA total of 423 untreated PD, 196 Healthy Control (HC) and 64 SWEDD (scans without evidence of dopaminergic deficit) subjects were enrolled at 24 sites. To enroll PD subjects as early as possible following diagnosis, subjects were eligible with only asymmetric bradykinesia or tremor plus a dopamine transporter (DAT) binding deficit on SPECT imaging. Acquisition of data was standardized as detailed at www.ppmi-info.org.ResultsApproximately 9% of enrolled subjects had a single PD sign at baseline. DAT imaging excluded 16% of potential PD subjects with SWEDD. The total MDS-UPDRS for PD was 32.4 compared to 4.6 for HC and 28.2 for SWEDD. On average, PD subjects demonstrated 45% and 68% reduction in mean striatal and contralateral putamen Specific Binding Ratios (SBR), respectively. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was acquired from >97% of all subjects. CSF (PD/HC/SWEDD pg/mL) α-synuclein (1845/2204/2141) was reduced in PD vs HC or SWEDD (P < 0.03). Similarly, t-tau (45/53) and p-tau (16/18) were reduced in PD versus HC (P < 0.01).InterpretationPPMI has detailed the biomarker signature for an early PD cohort defined by clinical features and imaging biomarkers. This strategy provides the framework to establish biomarker cohorts and to define longitudinal progression biomarkers to support future PD treatment trials